the time travelling Captain
by toilet-ducky
Summary: Jack find himself in a rural part of Wales talking to a very young Ianto Jones, why is jack here and why does his life seem to revolve round Ianto? This is a creation of watching time travellers wife and wanting jack and ianto version
1. Chapter 1

Okay this is going to sound like [possibly the worst idea for a story ever! But please bear with me. I am kind of taking the idea (only the idea not actual plot or scene or anything) from the time traveller's wife for a little Janto tweaking in Torchwood.

Ianto Llewellyn Jones is trying to write his own into the mudded soil without much luck. It isn't fair; why should he have such a difficult one? Nearly everyone else in his class has easy names like James and Lucy; why should he be lumbered with Ianto Llewellyn Jones? For the third time in a row; he puts one too many l's into his middle name, and has to scuff over it with his trainers.

'Stupid bloody name' he snickers inwardly at the curse word; his mam would kill him if she heard it. He is just about to give up and go back, ready for the arrival of his tad from work; when he hears a soft cursing come from the thicket of trees that litter the end of the garden.

"Tad?" he asks uncertainly as he moves towards the sound. He is almost certain that it isn't him; but he knows that Tad has been known to venture down for fire wood.

"No I'm not your Tad" a distinctively non-welsh voice sounds, as a large broad shouldered man moves out from the trees. "Well at least I'm pretty sure I'm not your tad"

Ianto doesn't really know how to react; as he arches his neck to look upon the tall stranger; who has an oddly compelling face. Ianto hasn't really met anyone like him before; dressed in oddly familiar clothes and a glittering smile. In truth Ianto isn't really used to strangers; everyone knows everyone in his little village, much to his annoyance, all Ianto has to do is sneeze and it gets back to his mam and tad.

This stranger is a novelty. But Ianto knows not to be rude; his mother has hammered that into the young boy enough; giving him a clip round the ear when he does not adhere to her words.

"I am Ianto Llewellyn Jones." he states slowly; careful to make himself understood, as he moves unnervingly toward the stranger with a hand outstretched.

If the stranger finds this formality odd he does not remark up on it; as his smile raises itself a few watts as his hand encircles Ianto's smaller one; radiating heat.

"What a polite young gentleman Ianto Llewellyn Jones. I am Captain Jack Harkness, but you can call me Jack" he remarks, releasing the hand and moving to sit on an upturned tree route so that they are at equal height.

"And you can call me Ianto" Ianto replies, not to be one upped.

"So I'm guessing we are in Wales young Ianto?" Jack asks, appraising his new friend.

"Well of course silly." Ianto replies. "How could you not know that?" he asks slightly perplexed.

"Well" Jack remarks, rubbing the back of his neck slowly. "I don't really know. One minute I am in London. . The next minute I am here in the wood back there"

"London" Ianto asks with awe lacing his tone. "You come from London?"

Jack laughs lightly at the boy who can be no more than six years old. "Well no, I'm a traveller of sorts, I've been everywhere, but I was in London before I wound up here" Jack remarks.

Ianto seems to take all this in his stride nodding, chewing his bottom lip, and obviously he is taking care over his next words.

"Wow. I've always wanted to go to London. Tad says that it is the capital of England. And that the queen lives there with her family. . Do you know the queen?" Ianto asks, all his words coming out at blustering speed his tongue dragging over some.

Jack tries to contain his laughter.

"Yes it is the capital of England; and yes it is where the queen lives; but no I do not know her personally; though I did have a wonderfully brief relationship with her great granddaughter, But I do sort of work for her majesty. . Well on behalf of her really."

"WOW" is all the response Ianto offers, the implausibility of Jack's last statement completely lost on him

Jack once again laughs at the young boy.

"Are you a spy" Ianto asks, as if it is the next logical question.

"What?" Jack asks, shocked at the question, a little worryingly near to the actual truth. "Why would you think that?" he pushes.

Ianto just shrugs.

"No Ianto." Jack continues "there must be some reason for your question?"

It is now Ianto's turn to look sheepish, as his foot begins to dig into the dirt.

"Well" he begins hesitantly "James bond is a spy and he works on her majesties service which tad says is the queen and her family." Ianto explains quickly; eliciting another peel of laughter from Jack. "but please don't tell mam because Tad says that if she finds out he's been letting me watch it; she's going to confiscate all the video's and not let me watch anymore"

Jack nods along with Ianto's heart felt plea, as the boy's impossibly blue eyes, bleed into his own.

"I promise Ianto Llewellyn Jones, it shall be a secret between you and me."

Ianto cannot control the blinding smile that Jack has created with his words. No adult has ever spoken to him like that, ever. His mam tries, bless her but all can she seem to muster is a far away smile, and the odd hum of acknowledgement as Ianto tells her about the boy from down the road who swears blind he can fit his entire fist in his mouth. And Ianto's tad; well they share a love of James bond but that is as far as it goes. No, no grown up has ever bothered trying to talk to Ianto like Jack does.

"So is that why you are here?" Ianto asks bluntly, as he pushes the tips of his trainers further into the mud.

"What do you mean?" Jack replies, not really following the sudden twist in conversation.

"Your reason for being here silly- sir" Ianto quickly corrects with a small blush of his cheeks. "I mean are you in the wood because of some secret spy mission for the queen?" Ianto reasons, his body almost buzzing with the excitement of it all.

Jack has to chuckle at this, as he tries to fathom how to explain his current predicament to six year old boy.

"Jack" Ianto questions as the captain continues to ponder his answer.

"Hmm. . . What is it Ianto?" Jack asks his mind still on the answer.

"Is wearing my tad's work trousers and Rhiannon's school shirt, another part of your mission?" he enquires barely containing the giggle, as he finally recognises the blue blouse that is now stretched tightly against Jack's strong chest, and the brown corduroy trousers that hang limply from his muscular frame.

"Well, to tell you the truth Ianto, I had to borrow these from the washing line, because; well you see, I found myself in this wood entirely naked." Jack answers, as if honesty is the best policy. This of course makes Ianto laugh once more.

"You are very funny Mister Jack, I don't realise that spy's could be funny as well. In James Bond all he does is defeat the bad guys and kiss girls." As he says this, Jack notices Ianto's face twist into a grimace as he makes a distinct expression of disgust.

"So you don't like the idea of kissing girls Ianto Jones?" Jack quips with a quirk of his lips, as if the boy had just said something very amusing. Ianto pulls another disgusted face.

"No I don't, Girls are yucky, like my sister Rhiannon. I saw her kissing a boy the other day when she was supposed to be babysitting me. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss a girl, especially my sister, she's not very nice." Ianto explains with enthusiasm. Jack nods along, giving the small boy all of his limitless attention.

"Jack" Ianto once again tries. "You still haven't told me why you are in the wood. If it's secret, I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Joel or even Mam, I promise so much I swear, I swear on, I swear on" Ianto looks around on something significantly big enough to use. "I swear on my dad's entire James bond video collection, my hot wheels cars, and, and on my sisters life." Ianto wheedles with his large doe eyes, completely unrepentant that he values his sister's life under James Bond and hot wheels.

Jack pretends to ponder his answer, before his smile proudly beams at Ianto. "Well, seeing as you promised, I will tell you the truth, I am…" Before he can say another word, Jack's stolen clothes fall to the floor and the man inside them disappears right in front of Ianto's very eyes.

"James Bond doesn't do that in the movies."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Shit"

Ianto hears the soft curse that originates behind a tree three ones across from the one he is currently standing next to.

"Got you" He whispers under his breath as he rushes towards his victory. Ianto was about to give up on this game of hide and seek, Joel is way too good at it, and Ianto hasn't had a chance to be the hider yet, even though they have been playing for what seems to be ages. Ianto sneaks up behind the huge oak, where he heard the voice dome from, and bends round with a huge grin, shouting.

"Found you Joel, now it's my turn to hide."

"I'm not Joel" is the reply, as Ianto stares at Captain Jack Harkness once again, only this time he is naked.

"You're naked" Ianto answers, with the bluntness only children can muster. Jack looks down at his body as if taking in his body for the first time.

"You'd be right about that Ianto Jones, very observant. Now you wouldn't have any clothes that I could borrow for my visit?"

Ianto smiles wildly at this, as he scurries over to a nearby tree which has small hole at the base. He pulls out a handful of material which he flourishes in Jack's direction.

"It's what you wore last time. I thought I'd keep it safe for you just in case. And well Rhiannon's shirt was all stretched and I knew mam would blame me, so I hid them in that tree" He gestures wildly behind him.

"Right . . . well thank you, I guess it was too much to ask for clothes that actually fit" Jack mutters, as he pulls on the fabric quickly. "Um . . . you called me Joel, is he a friend of yours?"

Ianto nods excitedly.

"Where would this Joel be? I don't really want everyone finding me here, do we, as it's our little secret, right?" Jack asks, as Ianto's brighten at the inclusion he feels at Jack's words.

"Yeah of course Jack, you will be my secret, I won't tell anyone, not even Joel even if he is my best friend in the entire world. It used to be Harry, but he always used to eat all my smarties when I brought them in, but Joel only likes the yellow ones, so I can share with him, because I only like the blue and green ones." Ianto releases all this information and Jack finds it very hard to keep up.

"Wow well, that is very interesting Ianto, but do you know where Joel is now?" He asks quickly to stem anymore rambling.

"Well, no, not really. We were playing hide and seek, and see he is really good at it, and I never find him, last time we played it took me ages and ages and ages to find him."

"And where was he then?" Jack asks his curiosity over taking everything else.

"He had gone home ten minutes into the game." Ianto replies solemnly and Jack cannot stop his laugh as it bursts through the quiet forest. Even Ianto joins in, though he is not quite sure what he is laughing at.

"So, there isn't much chance of Joel finding me in the wood then" Jack replies, the earnest expression back in place.

"No" Ianto replies with as much vigour as he can muster. He doesn't want Joel to find out or anyone, Jack is his secret, and he doesn't want to share him.

"Ianto" Jack begins as he moves back to the seat he had taken last time. "How long ago has it been since I was last here?"

Ianto concentrates very hard at this question and a little pink tongue darts out from behind his teeth as he tries to remember. "Well the last time you came was a Thursday I think . . . and it is now a Wednesday, according to our teacher" Ianto explains. Jack nods at this. Okay that's not too bad, just six days in between jumps not too bad then.

"Only six days then, that's not too bad then, though I must say you young folk grow quickly in Wales, I swear you were a lot smaller six days ago" Jack chuckles, as his hand gently messes with Ianto's hair.

"Wait" Ianto starts, thinking hard. "It's been a lot longer than six days. It was a Thursday, but ages ago, ages and ages ago. We've had Easter and the May holidays in between your visits." Ianto answers as his brows knit together. Jack can barely nod at the information as he tries to fathom how much time has elapsed between jumps to, wherever here is. At the time he had thought this had been a one off, a weird alien encounter that had transported him to Wales of all places, now he is not so sure.

"Did you not complete your mission?" Ianto asks, as he stares at Jack, a habit that the little boy never seems to tire of.

"What?" Jack asks, genuinely confused.

"You know that mission the queen had sent you on, that made you come to the woods at the edge of my garden. When you disappeared last time, I thought that you had completed your mission. Did something go wrong, is that why you are back? Do you need help? Because I would be great at helping you Mister Jack, my teacher says I am great little helper, and I learnt ever so much about spying from James Bond, Tad's even got the newest one on video and says that I can watch it with him when mam goes to mam-gu next week."

Jack can't help but smile at the small boy as he continues to waffle on about all the things Ianto could do, and how much he could help Jack with his super-secret spy mission.

"Whoa there tiger, I am sure you would be an amazing accomplice for me, but there is only one task that I need to you to do for me. Now bear in mind this is a very important take and, you and only you can do this for me, are you up for the challenge Ianto Jones?" Jack asks with all seriousness.

Ianto does not even need to consider this as he nods emphatically at Jack. "I'll do anything for you Jack" Ianto promises, as Jack chuckles, silently filing this information away for later.

"Well I need you to keep what you have seen as a secret, and always make sure that there are clothes in the woods ready if I happen to need them again."

Ianto nods at Jack's request, but Captain can tell there is a lot less enthusiasm in it than before.

"You know I am entrusting you with a very important task Ianto. I would never ask Joel to do this for me, only you Ianto." Ianto lets the words seep in before he nods once more before he flashes Jack a genuine smile

"You can trust me Mister Jack" Ianto replies as he smiles broadly.

"I always knew I could." Jack replies knowingly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack Stares down at the small boy and cannot quite match him with the man he knows he will become. Little Ianto Jones is, well sweet for the lack of a better word. With his big blue doe eyes that seem to compete against oceans in their depths. He seems almost at complete odds with the fastidious man he becomes in a decade or two.

"What is it like in London?" Ianto asks, quietly breaking Jack out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Jack replies relaxing a little, knowing there is nothing he can do until whatever has brought him here decides to take him back.

"What is it like in London" Ianto persists gently "I have seen London in movies, like James Bond and I want to know if it's like that with fast cars and noise and black taxi cabs and. . ."

Jack has to laugh at this "Yeah it is a bit like James bond I guess. You certainly have an obsession with that . . . but to be honest I don't live in London at the moment; I'm only there to have a meeting with my bosses. I usually live in Cardiff with. ."

He is about to say . . . well he isn't sure what he is about to say, Boyfriend, partner? He doesn't really know because he is saved that embarrassment by Ianto who interrupts, though it's almost as if he is talking to himself.

"James Bond can't live in Cardiff, can he?"

"Ianto" Jack imposes albeit with a gentle hand on the young boy's shoulders. "I'm sorry but I'm not James Bond"

"Well of course not don't be stupid, you're Jack Harkness" Ianto states as if he is in fact talking to a six year old, and not the other way round. "But really, um I mean in real life they would have to change your name to make movies or anyone could find you"

"Well that makes sense" Jack allows, as he fights the large smile that is threatening to break free. "But in truth Ianto I am not James Bond, I don't have any cool gadgets"

"Or loads of women wanting a kiss and hug you?" Ianto adds helpfully, making an icky face in the process.

"Well not for a long time anyway" Jack comments, with a faraway look on his face

"Good" Ianto replies decisively and a little too quickly for Jack not to question it.

"Well women and girls are just like my sister Rhiannon, and she is awful" Ianto replies nodding emphatically, his big eyes trained on Jack who finds it so hard to look away.

"Well it's good that that doesn't happen anymore then. I don't think that my partner would like it if women threw themselves at me"

Jack didn't mean to mention the older Ianto; least of all as his partner, it's still too new for that, but all thoughts of the grown up Ianto fly out the window when he sees the younger incarnation stare at him with a distinctly hurt expression.

"Are you okay Mate?" Jack asks as the small boy chews his lips, clearly trying to stop tears from falling.

"Yeah of course Jack, I just didn't realise you had a wife-"

"- Partner" Jack interjects,

"Partner" Ianto parrots, practising the word several times, to feel how it plays out on his tongue. "What does that mean then?"

"Well it's another word for when two people love each other very much, but aren't married yet" Where the hell did the yet come from?

"So you lied then" Ianto stated slowly, almost tentative about the words coming from his mouth

"No of course not" Jack states unaware of where he had slipped up.

"Well you said no woman wanted to kiss or hug you, but what about your partner?"

"Well he isn't a woman"

He isn't as surprised this time when Jack disappears, as the clothes he was wearing fall silently to the ground. Yet Ianto cannot help the small smile that is starting to hurt his cheeks. He can't really say why, but knowing Jack hasn't got a wife makes Ianto insanely happy, and even knowing that Jack has a . . . partner he's pretty sure that's the word, that doesn't seem to matter. And there's a small; tiny part of Ianto who wishes he was old enough to be Jack's partner, even though it sounds silly even to Ianto, but it doesn't stop him from practising the name Ianto Llewellyn Harkness in the mud every chance he gets.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay just before anyone asks, there will definitely be NO sexual relationship between child Ianto and Captain Jack! The Captain is not a paedophile and that is not the direction I want to take my story! I just thought I would mention it because of how I left the last chapter though Ianto may have kid life notions of loving Jack he does not understand them and is forming the very early rounds of a crush it is more like hero worship as jack is the first person in his life to show Ianto any interest without being his family or teacher. Thank you

Chapter 4

As Jack finds himself once back again in his own time, he can't help but let the little face of Ianto Llewellyn Jones burn into his memory. The look of joy on his little features isn't something that Jack will be able to easily forget; not that he will necessarily want to. When Jack had first come into contact with the little incarnation of his partner, he saw this as nothing more than a fluke; a time puddle that he must have come across by accident, a perfect excuse to take the piss out of his uptight Welshman with a few light jabs at his more innocent youth. Jack has never; ever found anything quite as adorable as the young Ianto looking up at him with such awe as the spy from London.

Yet he hasn't had the opportunity to even talk to Ianto in the last few days while he is entombed in a luxury hotel in London while annual talks are taking place between Torchwood and Unit; and a small part of him wonders if he should. If he has indeed travelled back to the past why hasn't Ianto mentioned it? In the past three years of working at Torchwood, or the past two years of their relationship, the Welshman has never once talked about the jack of his youth, the super spy from London in his Sister's shirt and father's trousers.

All this begs the question just what is going on?

He doesn't have to wait long to ask the right questions when the phone next to his ridiculously big bed begins to ring. Jack ensconces himself between the large pillows before answering though he is pretty sure who is on the other end.

"Jones, Ianto Jones?" Jack enquires trying his hardest to keep a serious tone.

"The one and only Captain" Ianto replies in his refined stoic voice.

"Calling to check up on me?" Jack asks in a leading tone. "Making sure that I am behaving in this big luxurious king size bed without you"

Ianto laughs at this. "Well if you weren't behaving yourself in that bed, then you would be in no state to take this phone call. And I'm sure Tosh would have found something from the security camera's she's been keeping checks on you with."

"Very true" Jack agrees with a contented smile on his face, knowing that Ianto is for once contented in his relationship with the Captain. "Ianto-" Jack begins in a leading fashion.

"No Jack I will not have sex with you over the phone, especially after the disaster of last time, I still can't look Toshiko in the face." Jack can imagine the beautiful blush that must be moving up from his throat to rest on the Welshman's inflamed cheeks.

"Now that would be a great idea but that isn't what I want to talk about." Jack begins in a voice that is honed by years of leadership.

"Actually Captain, I phoned you so it is at least polite to listen to my reason for calling first" Ianto retorts respectfully, before launching into a concise but clear recap of the events Back at Torchwood two for the last four days of the captains trip. Jack manages to mm in the right places enough to make it sound as though he is actually listening. "So that is everything from this end what's been happening in London how is the meetings going?"

Ianto does sound generally interested though Jack cannot for the life of him understand why. Ianto had come as the representative last year and knows first-hand how dull these conferences are, and how little is really solved when people from such vastly different stand point of the government get together, they were so focused on their own departments that any compromise to solve problems such as budgets and division of labour was not something decided upon quickly. In all honesty if Jack could he would have sent Ianto back as the representative this year, as Ianto seems to find these meetings interesting and it would mean Jack would have a perfect excuse for a couple of late night visits to Ianto's hotel room, but sadly the orders this year had been extremely specific, all leaders of all divisions must attend alone.

"Everything it going as expected Ianto. Nothing is ever decided quickly, it has taken the last four days for everyone to agree that this meeting needed to take place and we need to adjust our division wide policy on our relationship with the police and civilians but as of yet no one is singing from the same hymn sheet." Jack answers hoping that he won't have to talk about work anymore as he it's bad enough going through the meetings without having to recount them "Anyway I just wanted to say that you were the most adorable child I have ever met" Jack waits patiently for Ianto to reply.

"What the hell are you talking about Jack?" Ianto asks his voice crackling over the connection.

"Don't tell me you don't remember me Ianto Llewellyn Jones. How can you forget the Captain that came down to the bottom of your garden all those years ago."

Jack is taking a risk. There is a chance however slight, that Ianto may not remember it, that those travels into the past had been some sort of dream, or he has been deceived somehow.

"So you have finally found me Captain" Ianto whispers down the phone, though he might as well have shouted for the reaction he has on Jack. His body hums in pleasure at Ianto's words, waiting for the younger man to continue, yet the Welshman seems unwilling to say anymore.

"Is there not anymore to this story?" Jack asks incredulously, his earlier mirth seemingly vanishing at Ianto's unwillingness to share. There is a long sigh before Ianto speaks once more.

"I don't really think that this is something we should be talking about over an unsecured phone connection" Ianto grumbles and Jack can here the Welshman fidgeting clearly hoping to dispel this turn in the conversation. Yet Jack is having none of it.

"Stop delaying the inevitable Ianto. Toshiko has secure every phone connection into the hub this is one of the most safe phone conversations in the country, as you well know. So please just tell me what you know about my travelling."

Ianto heaves another sigh, as if he has been waiting for this for a long time. "When I first met you- well this version of you- The leader of torchwood, my boss I didn't know what to do. It was quite hard to reconcile the leader of Torchwood, with The Captain who I could find at the bottom of my garden from time to time. I used to think that I must have been dreaming, that all that time in Torchwood one had really done a number on me once again, raping my memories and taking my guardian- I mean my Captain and turning him into you, making every aspect of my life part of Torchwood, altering my memories to suit their own needs" Jack cannot help but hear the bitterness in Ianto's tone. It deflates his happy mood once step further. "But I started to see parts of him-you, I mean I started to see aspects of the man I remember from my childhood in you. It was little things in the beginning, your smile; I couldn't forget that even after all those years-" Jack is sure that Ianto would continue, and a part of him would love to hear it but jack needs to have a few questions answered.

"But why didn't you tell me? There have been so many opportunities Ianto; it's not as if we haven't dealt with anything weirder." Jack asks pointedly.

"I was told by someone very important to me, to keep my childhood friend a secret from everyone" Ianto replies without missing a beat, Jack can imagine the cheeky smile that must be on his face right now. Jack wants to retaliate but Ianto is quicker.

"Let's be honest sir" Ianto begins with false propriety "even with everything that has happened in Torchwood, you would still have found it very hard to believe my story about an imaginary friend that looked very much like you yourself sir."

Jack cannot disagree with that, even though he would really like to.

"And then there is the timeline, who knows how it could have changed if I had told you about my childhood, and your role in it. For all that we know you may not have even existed in my childhood."

"And would that be so bad?" Jack asks, more out of a desire to be cantankerous than any really need to disagree with Ianto's thought process. After all the idea that Jack could one day wake up and not remember young Ianto is not something that he is willing to experience.

"Yes, it would be" Ianto replies simply, his voice seemingly devoid of emotion, not elaborating on his reasoning behind it. Jack wants to ask why. A small egotistical part of Jack wants to hear Ianto tell him how much he has affected the Welshman's life but he knows better than to ask for clarification.

"Okay" Jack acquiesces easily, a smile firmly back in place, as he lets his fingers play with the cord of the phone, hoping that the conversation can move onto more arousing topics soon, but there is one more question he has to ask, before he can try and convince Ianto to engage in another round of phone sex.

"Does this mean that I turn out to be quite an influential person in your childhood Ianto?" He asks slyly, his ego beginning to fill his stomach along with a warm sensation that refuses to be named just yet.

"Well as influential as any child's invisible friend can be I suppose" Ianto hedges, the conversation lightening considerably with every flirty exchange.

"Oh that's not very fair Ianto. I am very much real, and if you were here in my hotel room I would spend the entire day showing you just how real I can be" Jack all but purrs the sentence into the receiver as he pushes himself lower into the bed beginning to really enjoy this conversation.

"Now sir, there is no need to feel as if you have to prove yourself. I have always known that my captain is real, it's just easier for others to understand if I ever mentioned you"

"Am I Your Captain?" Jack asks but Ianto refuses to answer so Jack continues. "I thought you promised never to mention me to anyone?" Jack asks "I thought you I was supposed to be your secret" Jack continues, repeating his words to the younger Ianto but it sounds so different now, a tone of want and need lacing every word.

"Well mam and tad needed a reason for me always escaping down to the bottom of the garden and an imaginary friend sounded better than playing with fairies, I was only six in the beginning" Ianto replies choosing to ignore Jack's lascivious connotations.

"In the beginning, does this mean I will have more chance to meet your younger self Mr Jones?"

"Well I guess the cat is out of the bag now. I can't tell you much, because I promised, well I promised you that I wouldn't give away anything- spoilers- but all I can say is that Captain Jack Harkness has been part of my life in some way shape or form since my sixth birthday, and well he has never really left" Ianto admits begrudgingly.

The phone conversation does not last long after that. Jack tries to engage Ianto into another round of phone sex but the Welshman laughs it off before ending the conversation. Jack doesn't really mind though, he doesn't have room in his head for disappointment anymore, as the joy is more than enough to capture his mind, and leave all other emotions inert. Jack would be seeing young Mr Jones once more; more than that he would in whatever way it transpired be part of Ianto's life for a long time to come. Yet the part that jack likes to replay most, and what gives him the most reason to smile as he finally turns in for the night, snuggled underneath the large duvet of his king size bed is that the knowledge that he is Ianto's Captain.


	5. Chapter 5

Ianto knows he's taking a risk but he can't help himself. Over the last few weeks the weather has been tumbling toward winter at an alarming pace, and Ianto's heard through a static television that he only half pays attention to and the ramblings of his mother that the first Snow of Winter is due any day now. All the kids in his class are ridiculously excited, snow usually means snowmen, schools closed, and epic snow ball fights. Yet all little Ianto Llewellyn Jones can think about is the mysterious man that sometimes visits him at the bottom of his garden. Ianto knows how easily someone can get sick if he doesn't wear warm clothes, Joel was off school for what seemed liked forever last year after he came to play at Ianto's in just his favourite jumper and jeans.

So Ianto waits till both his mam and Tad are busy, and Rhiannon is off with her new boyfriend, to make his move. He rummages through the cloakroom underneath the stairs for a coat suitable for the Captain. He bypasses the jackets that are hung up neatly on the pegs as Ianto knows that they will be easily missed by the rest of the Jones family, and goes straight for the huge wicker basket that lays underneath them, a home for the old and neglected coats and shoes, that are no longer needed but have not made their way to the local jumble sale or Aunty Joyce's house where little cousin Gareth ends up with all of Ianto's cast offs. He decides upon a huge great blue coat with huge silver buttons that Ianto has never seen his father wear but knows that it cannot possibly have belonged to anyone else in the Jones household.

Ianto feels ridiculously proud of himself as he half carries half drags the great coat out of the house and through the garden.

"What in God's name have you got there Ianto?" Ianto freezes when he hears his Mam's voice calling to him from the back door. "Ianto" she calls again, her voice raising slightly in a tone that Ianto knows that he should answer, and quickly. He turns sheepishly and smiles at his mam though she can read his naughty expression like a book.

"I'm just playing" Ianto calls back, but he begins to walk toward her anywhere, knowing that he will have to show her the coat before she will allow him to go anywhere else with it. She picks up the item with ease, dusting off the leaves and twigs that have already attached themselves to the woollen front of the coat.

"Where on Earth did you find this?" She asks, though her voice has lost any of the edge that it had previously held. Ianto fiddles with his hands pushing his weight from foot to foot, before answering.

"It was in the basket, no one's using it Mama" Ianto explains quietly, his voice taking on a whiny quality that makes his Mam roll her eye, and hastily drop the coat into his arms, clearly she is accustomed to a Ianto tantrum and is very keen to avoid another.

"Well your Tad really does hate this thing." She sighs sadly "I will never understand why Mam-Gu thought he would like the coat of one of her ex-boyfriends during the war." Ianto just stares at his Mam. When she talks to him like this he knows that she doesn't expect him to answer her, to be honest he doesn't really have the slightest clue about what she is talking about, but Tad always says the best way is to just smile and nod, so this is what he does.

Ianto's Mam smiles, ruffling his hair affectionately "Off you go my boy, your Tad won't mind, just make sure you keep yourself out of trouble."

Ianto does not have to be told twice, he quickly pulls the coat along with him as he disappears to the bottom of the garden. He is just about to stuff the coat in the base of the old oak tree when a cough startles him.

"Is that for me Ianto Llewellyn Jones?"

Ianto's face breaks out into a smile as he turns to see his Captain once again in his old assortment of clothes, hastily rubbing his arms against the chill.

"Yes, it's supposed to snow soon and our teacher says that everyone has to wear coats when they go outside. I didn't want you to get sick." Ianto states, as he pulls the coat out with some difficulty, before giving it to Jack.

"Thank you very much Ianto" Jack says as he pulls on the coat that feels strangely familiar to him. He is touched for the lack of the better word that Ianto would worry about his wellbeing. It's not as if he talks to a lot of children but jack is certain that not many of them would worry about an adult's health.

Ianto just shrugs at jack's words his eyes staring intently at the older man. "I didn't want you to have any reason not to come back . . . to me. Last year Joel got sick and he was away from school for a very long time, I didn't like it. I missed him, I think I would miss you too if you didn't come back" Ianto states slowly, as if he is taking care over every word he has chosen.

Jack can feel butterflies beginning to swell in his stomach. He hasn't expected such emotion form the boy. Jack loves his time with the young Ianto, he treasures the gift of being able to see a different side of the man that he will become to be; but he has never once thought about the impact that Jack must be having on the Welshman.

"Well now that I'm warm, there will be no getting rid of me" Jack replies with a trademark Harkness grin, as he tries to lighten the mood. "So where on earth did you get this coat Mr Jones?"

Ianto smiles again as he recounts in detail his 'super spy mission' about sneaking round the house and rummaging everywhere for a suitable piece of clothing for the Captain, and tricking his mother into thinking that Ianto was just playing around.

"So you see Captain Jack. I could be a spy. I am very good; no one has suspected a thing. I could help you Captain, sir. I know I'm small but no one would suspect me of being a spy. I could be you're partner." Ianto is smiling manically as he goes over and over all of the ways he could help Jack as a spy. Jack has to smile indulgently at the boy, realising that in the future Ianto indeed would be his partner, but in a whole different sense.

"Is that what you want to be when you grow up then Ianto, a spy for the queen?" Jack asks, when the boy finally comes up for breath, Jack is still amused at how verbose the young incarnation of Ianto is.

Ianto appears to truly ponder this, as a slight crease appears on his forehead and he bites his lip before answering.

"It's what I wanted to be, but Tad says I am just being silly. He says that James bond is a story and that when I grow up I will have to get a proper job like his." Ianto's face contorts into one which jack can only distinguish as disgust. "But I don't want to be like tad, he comes back from work covered in soot, messing up the house, getting his dirty hands on everything. I don't like mess" Ianto states and Jack can definitely detect a connection to the elder Ianto, who seems almost fanatical about the state of the tourist office and archives. "All he ever wants to do is sit in his special chair, with dinner on his lap, and for mam to bring him in bears and whiskey as he watches the rugby!"

Ianto seems to be going away from the point, but Jack allows it as the conversation drifts to Ianto's father. Jack knows very little about Ifan Jones, the older Ianto is predictably silent on his family's past, Rhiannon and his mam get the occasional mention, but Jack can count on one hand the number of times Ianto has mentioned his father, and it is never been in the most positive light, though Jack can tell Ianto is very conscious of not being overly negative, as this would pique interest.

"Do you and your Tad not watch Rugby together, like you do with James Bond?" Jack asks attentively, constantly gauging when to back off the subject.

Ianto shakes his head emphatically. "No, not anymore, Tad used to let me watch it on his lap, and he would explain all the rules to me, but when I said I liked the team in white, he got really angry, and told me that they were the wrong team and that we were welsh and we had to support the Welsh team and not the English." Ianto still looks a little upset at the memory, and Jack is finding it hard to decide whether Ianto is over-exaggerating as kids have the tendency to do or whether this is a genuine argument between father and son.

During their conversation, the sky has turned from a light winter grey of a late afternoon to the an almost midnight blue as darkness descends; though both Jack don't seem to be that bothered, in fact they do not notice at all until they hear Ianto's mother shouting out across the garden that dinner is ready.

"You had better go" Jack states fondly, inwardly hoping that he will not have to wait long alone until he is returned to his appropriate time.

"I wish you could come in and have dinner with us" Ianto laments, his eyes huge blue orbs against the darkness around him.

"But then I wouldn't be a secret anymore would I?" Jack reminds him; Ianto nods sadly at this and trudges away.

Jack can't help but draw comparisons between this Ianto and his elder self, Young Ianto almost wants to show off his time travelling friend, though the older Ianto seems to be at pains to keep his and Jack's relationship for lack of a better word away from the rest of the team. What happened Ianto that changed you so drastically?

Ianto is almost at the tree line when he turns around to Jack. "Promise you will come back? I don't mind when just promise you will come back?" There is so much hope in that sentence that it constricts Jack's throat and he fights it to breathe back

"I promise"

Ianto must hear it though, as he bestows Jack a blinding smile as he rushes into the night air.


End file.
